The specific sub sector of semiconductors & electronics where GaN-based semiconductors & electronics have an edge over normal Si-based counterparts is ”Power Semiconductors & Electronics” and in terms of end-user application sectors (verticals), the two major upcoming sectors facilitating demand for GaN semiconductor devices are Industrial & Power sector and ICT sector. The ICT sector has found use for GaN power discretes, particularly transistors in power amplification, rectification, and high-frequency switching.

GaN has turned out to be the choice for most of the power semiconductor applications and is quickly replacing the existing silicon technology. The various properties of GaN such as wider band gap, high break-down voltage, larger critical electric field, and higher thermal conductivity let the GaN devices operate at higher voltages, high switching frequencies, handle higher power density, and offer enhanced power efficiency than the pure Si devices. These properties allow the GaN discretes like Schottky diodes, FETs, HEMTs and the other advanced transistors to operate efficiently at much higher voltage levels, exceeding the limits of counterpart Si devices. GaN power semiconductors also help in reducing the conduction and switching losses, thereby offering higher efficiency in electronic systems. The major application segments of GaN power semiconductors currently are the inverters (& converters), RF devices, power supply modules and motor drives being used across all the end user sectors.

For GaN power semiconductor devices, the current market growth is primarily due to penetration in the medium-voltage power electronics market, mainly among medium voltage range (300V to 1KV) applications across all the major end-user verticals. So, it is obvious that most of the market revenue comes from the rising number of advanced -power applications of industrial, power, solar & wind sector and the sector’s development globally. Currently, GaN power devices draw most of their revenue from the ICT sector, as they have been solely focusing on replacing their Si counterparts in various RF power devices, particularly in RF communication applications over the past few years.

With respect to features, the GaN devices are much smaller, lighter but tougher and efficient than silicon semiconductor devices and serve as perfect replacements for their silicon counterpart devices which have hit maturity. With additional features offered by GaN in these devices such as low sensitivity to ionizing radiation, better stability in some radiation environments, GaN devices also have a future in solar cell arrays, satellites and high-end power appliances in the Military, Defense & Aerospace sector. Apart from this sector, these devices also have huge revenue potential in the automotive and transportation sector, mainly in the electric vehicles & hybrid electric vehicles segment of the automotive sector.

The market’s total competitive landscape currently has only a handful of players, but the number of players is expected to increase quickly over the coming years, with several power semiconductor industry giants and new start-ups entering into the field of GaN power semiconductors. Currently, the overall GaN power semiconductors market accounts for less than 1% of the total power semiconductors market (currently at $34 billion including power discretes and power ICs), but over the next ten years, the entire base for power semiconductors & electronics players is expected to penetrate this new value chain, thereby rapidly increasing the percentage share.

Today’s world includes numerous suitable power applications for GaN in several application segments, such as power distribution systems, industrial systems, heavy electrical systems, turbines, heavy machinery, advanced industrial control systems, electro-mechanical computing systems, and so on; also inclusive of several new power applications (clean-tech) such as High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC), Smart Grid Power Systems, Wind Turbines, Wind Power Systems, Solar Power Systems, Electric & Hybrid Electric Vehicles. Another application sector is ICT, with several communication application segments such as RF, RADAR, and Satellite communication offering huge revenue potentials owing to the unbeatable ability of GaN to operate at high-frequency ranges, including microwave frequencies. The potential market size of these massive applications is currently in trillions, making the total addressable market for the GaN power semiconductors worth billions.

Due to this vast addressable market, the GaN power semiconductors market is quickly gaining pace, several transistors and diodes (& rectifiers) have been in the market since 2008, with extraordinary growth in the volume of power discretes (HEMTs, Diodes & Rectifiers and FETs) boosting the total revenue of the GaN power semiconductors market. Another factor for revenue growth was from GaN power ICs, where new power ICs such as MMICs and RFICs were launched commercially every year by industry players after extensive R&D efforts on developing new technologies to enable the same. The complete GaN power semiconductors industry has shifted to a mass-production scenario in 2011 with the success and revenue potential drawing the focus of several power semiconductor market giants.

The GaN power semiconductors market is expected to reach $12.60 million by the end of 2012. The phenomenal growth rate of approximately 60 to 80% year-on-year is expected to continue for the following years. The forecasted revenue for GaN power semiconductors is $1.75 billion by end of 2022 (after 10 years) at an explosive CAGR of 63.78% from 2012 to 2022. Apart from power semiconductors, GaN is predominantly used in optosemiconductors, for LEDs and laser diodes. The total GaN semiconductors (including both, power and optosemiconductors) market revenue is expected to reach $2.6 billion by 2022.

This Gallium Nitride semiconductor devices market report, based on the extensive research study on GaN semiconductors market and industry, is aimed at identifying the entire market of the GaN semiconductor devices, and all its sub-segments through extensively detailed classifications, in terms of both - revenue and shipments. This report is focused on giving a bird’s eye-view of the upcoming GaN semiconductors industry with regards to GaN semiconductor market from both – technical and market-oriented perspectives; combined with qualitative analysis at each and every aspect of the classifications done by design architecture & materials, device technology, products, devices, applications, and geography. The report specially focuses on the fast growing GaN power semiconductors – mainly, next generation discretes and ICs and their sub-markets, along with shares of each in their respective parent markets. All the numbers, both - revenue & volume, at every level of detail, are forecasted till 2022 to give a glimpse of the potential revenue base in this market. Lastly, the report analyzes the complete value chain, supply chain and competitive landscape with key players (of both power semiconductors & optosemiconductors markets) and their market shares with respect to the GaN semiconductors market.

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